Gobble Without Guilt At Turkey Crossing

----------------------------------------------------------------- Restaurant review

X 1/2 Turkey Crossing, 301 N.W. 85th St. ($) Lunch and dinner ($4 to $7) 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. No alcohol. Major credit cards. No smoking. Reservations-takeout: 789-8000. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Forgot to order a bird?

Bought one, but forgot to thaw it?

Too broke to do either?

There's still an option, and it's a healthy one. The Turkey Crossing in Greenwood will be char-roasting-barbecuing turkeys all day long and unless they run out along toward 9:30 tonight, you can get a massive plateful for around seven bucks, stuffing and real mashed potatoes included.

You say you never heard of a charcoal-roasted barbecued turkey? Until this week, neither had I.

Turkey Crossing - clean, simple and wholesome - is the invention of Gabriel and Martha Marian. True to proverbial wisdom, it was an invention born of necessity.

"I had been barbecuing turkeys in a backyard covered roaster (yes, a Weber; it was a wedding present) for 20 years," Martha said. "I did it every Thanksgiving and the whole family loved it. Three years ago, Gabriel had a stroke.

"He fully recovered, thank God, but we still had to watch his diet. And it was hard finding foods that everybody liked that were fat-free and low-salt. So, instead of barbecuing a turkey once a year, I started doing them once a week."

Martha got real good at it. So good, that she and Gabriel wondered if there was a way of making a restaurant based on charcoal-cooked, wood-smoke barbecued, dome-roasted turkey.

Juicy, low-fat turkey

They opened Turkey Crossing two months ago, centered on three large ovens invented by Gabriel Marian that combined charcoal grills, hickory wood-chips (they are considering switching to applewood if they can find a supplier), domed covers and induction oven fans.

The results are astonishing: 25-pound turkeys roast completely in 150 minutes and emerge fully cooked, but smoke-pink tender, remarkably juicy and - served skinless - low-fat. (Graham Kerr would snap his suspenders.)

The first time I noticed the restaurant, a man dressed in a turkey costume (like a subdued variation on the San Diego Chicken) was standing out front, waving at traffic. Kept on driving. A few days later, the turkey doorman was gone and I went in for what I assumed would be a routine hot sandwich.

Standing behind the cafeteria-style serving line, a young woman arrayed two large slices of white bread on a plate, placed six generous slices of breast meat over them, lowered a large scoop of mashed potatoes in the middle and ladled a pool of light tan, low-fat gravy over the whole affair. In a separate bowl she placed another copious scoop of corn bread dressing.

I gave it a good try, but I don't think I finished half of it.

The turkey was beautifully moist and deeply flavorful. The gravy was pleasant, but being saltless and low-fat, a bit bland. I sprinkled on a little black pepper. The sandwich cost $4.95. The side order of corn bread dressing, which is quite herby, was an extra $1.45.

For the same price, I could have ordered a Turkey Salad in a Pita, with a bed of sprouts and a dash of currants. Or a Garden Turkey Club Sandwich; sliced turkey with either cheddar, provolone or Swiss cheese and lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and sprouts.

Whole dinner is a mouthful

I went back a few nights later for the whole dinner treatment (also available at lunch for $4.95 to $7.45, depending on the number of side dishes).

Included were a lively black bean and corn salad, a portion (small) of an excellent homemade cranberry relish, a corn bread muffin and a heaping serving of corn, along with white and dark slabs of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy.

The potatoes are not as light and fluffy as they'd be with a leavening of hot milk or cream - or some butter whipped in - but they're substantial, flavorful and undeniably good for your cholesterol levels.

A large wedge of (I guess) low-fat apple pie finished things off. I skipped the ice cream. Totally guilt-free - and well-fed.

Turkey Crossing needs some decorative touches. A gigantic photo mural of some turkeys in the wild is amusing, but the bare tables and dining room are more utilitarian than festive.

And it would be nice to see some wines (even de-alcoholized ones) added to the presentation.

But for quality turkey at cut-rate prices, it's impossible to go wrong here. (Copyright, 1995, John Hinterberger. All rights reserved.) John Hinterberger, who writes the weekly restaurant review in Tempo and a Sunday food column in Pacific, visits restaurants anonymously and unannounced. He pays in full for all food, wines and services. Interviews of the restaurants' management and staff are done only after meals and services have been appraised. He does not accept invitations to evaluate restaurants.